San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-20

may have Dlunted MS moral sense, OF IL may
have been mere chance that led him to be
nearly quarter of an hour late on Monday
morning. As he hurried up the alley he
was surprised by the sight of a group col
lected about Parkman's door. Among them
were one or two of Parkman's clerks look
ing unlike themselves, and one or two po-
licemen unable to look anything but them
selves.
What is up" he asked lightly; but though
they all seemed to be looking at him, no one
answered. Instead. clerk, one of the jun
iOrs, said audibly, THAT is Mr.. Crispp' and
a strange voice answered emphatically,
That is the manp' This seemed to cause a
sensation, amid which short stout person,
with blunt, hearty voice and humorous
eye pushed through the group and said,
This way, sir, please" in voice of author.
ity.
What in the world is the matter" asked
Crisp.
TEL you in a moment sir. Please to step
with me up to Mr.. Parkman's room" And
he took Crisp by the arm, in what the latter
thought an odd fashion, and so led him up,
and swiftly through the clerks office, which
was half full of staring gapers, and into the
Junior partners room.
Crisp looked around him in utter bewilder-
ment On the hearthrug stood Mr.. Park
man, pale and agitated. BY the window
two gentlemen were talking. It the table
apparently making some notes, police
officer.
Watson" said his conductor, shutting the
door firmly behind them, do you Ike him"
and fell back into a corner of the room,
where he seemed to busy himself with an
old Joe Miller, so very facetiOus that it rem
dered him ObliviOus to all going on around
him.
While Crisp stood looking from one to the
other, the Superintendent rose abruptly and
stepped close to him. mine is a painful
business, sir. You are Mr.. Ernest Crisp, /
think?'
1t darted into Crisps mind that the chief
had put the police in motion in the matter of
that little discrepancy in his accounts; but
single glance at Mr.. Parkman's pale, sym
pathizing face sufficed to dispose of that
Yes" he said, 81 am. That is my name"
You may or may not Know, then, that a
great crime was committed here on Satur-
day afternoon. The cashier, Mr.. CrtchlOw,
has been found dead in his office, stabbed to
the heart from behind"
"Mr. Critchlow," the head clerk whispered
with white, shaking lips
"And you have been identified as the per-
son last seen to leave the house. I'm sorry
to say that l must take you into custody on
suspicion; | must warn you, too, Mr.. Crisp,
that anything YOU say will be given in evil
dence against you"
''On Saturday afternOOnp Crisp muttered
in awed accents, looking around him with
eyes that did not see. But what-why am
/ suspectedY
"All that you will hear at the Mansion
House. l am anxious to take you there at
once, and with as little unpleasantness TO
yourself as possible"
ut Is mere fOrnality, Crisp" Mr.. Park
man volunteered, speaking for the first time
with earnest kindness. 81 will attend my
self and say how perfectly ridiculous your
conduct for years makes this charge appear"
The color came back to the clerks face.
THANK you, sir" he said.
Perhaps you will let yourself be searched
here" asked the policeman. Crisp nodded
acquiescence, and did not finch when the
operation began. But the first articles to
appear were two keys. The policeman lock-
ed carelessly at the first but his face lit up
wonderfully as he held up the second.
This is the missing keyp he exclaimed,
and thrill of intelligence seemed to pass
round the room.
THAT key" said Crisp, still bewildered
and graphing with the memory of things
which seemed to have happened so long ago,
that is the key of Mr.. Critch-" He stop
ped with trembling lips. He had gone so
far unthinking; and then his position in all
its bearing flashed across his mind. He re-
membered all that the presence of that key
upon him, all that the words he had uttered,
might mean for him. The room began to 90
round, visions of Ethel and Mr.. Critchlow
swan before his eyes. Amid an appalling
silence, which had greeted his words, he fell
to the floor in a dead faint.
Five minutes later the room was cleared of
al save its owner and the short, stout man.
81 cannot believe it now Mr.. Parkman
was saying, land yet the keyl-the keyl
How can he explain that? How eanshe ex-
plain that"
You remember, sir, told you it was a
pretty clear caSeP" answered the detective
for such he was and well-knOwn one
You did, and | did not believe YOU" the
merchant answered with a grOan. He was
very greatly distressed, and no wonder.
well, sir, Pm inclined to think that you
were right and l was wrong" the other an
swered dryly.
",Eh! Less clear now, inspector? But the
key?'
ut is the key, and another matter or two,
that puzzle me-" the man answered thought
fully. ~ ou'ye read dare say, of muir
derers doing stupid things, sire There was